triptych

noun

trip·​tych ˈtrip-(ˌ)tik 

1

a

: a picture (such as an altarpiece) or carving in three panels side by side

b

: something composed or presented in three parts or sections

especially : trilogy

2

: an ancient Roman writing tablet with three waxed leaves hinged together

Did you know?

Triptych Has Greek Roots

A painted or carved triptych typically has three hinged panels, and the two outer panels can be folded in towards the central one. A literary or musical triptych generally consists of three closely related or contrasting themes or parts. Triptych derives from the Greek triptychos ("having three folds"), formed by combining tri- ("three") and ptychē ("fold" or "layer"). Although triptych originally described a specific type of Roman writing tablet that had three hinged sections, it is not surprising that the idea was generalized first to a type of painting, and then to anything composed of three parts.

Examples of triptych in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Last fall, after a five-year-long break from any new Bon Iver projects, Vernon dropped a triptych of songs. —Leah Lu, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025

Mitchell’s work, a roughly twenty-foot-long 1973 triptych titled Iva, was initially dedicated to the artist’s dog. —News Desk, Artforum, 3 Apr. 2025

Near the entrance of the building's nave, a triptych of towering black computer servers are humming loudly. —Emma Bowman, NPR, 23 Mar. 2025

Key items included a triptych of Cher portraits by Mert & Marcus that went for 125,000 euros, while a package of an autographed copy of her 1982 Interview magazine cover and dinner with the star in Malibu went for 150,000 euros. —Rhonda Richford, WWD, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek triptychos having three folds, from tri- + ptychē fold

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for triptych

• cryptic
• diptych
• styptic
• tryptic
• apocalyptic
• ecliptic
• elliptic

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!